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TRA210 TRA210 Advanced 2D materials for energy and environmental applications

 lp4 VT25 (7.5 hp)

Course is offered by the department of Tracks

Contact details

Examiner:                 Dr. Zhenyuan Xia, zhenyuan@chalmers.se, (772)4050

Teachers:                  Dr. Zhenyuan Xia (graphene production).

Asso. Prof. Jinhua Sun, jinhua@chalmers.se (graphene for energy storage)

Prof. Vincenzo Palermo, palermo@chalmers.se (carbon-based composites)

Prof. Roland Kádár (graphene and polymer composites)

Dr. Alessandro Kovtun (graphene in water treatment)

Planned Industrial guests:

Dr. Johan Ek Weis (Chalmers Industriteknik, graphene standardisation)

Dr. Sankar Sanchez (Smoltek Hydrogen, 3D graphene)

Dr. Meganne CHristian (UK Space Agency, online)

Dr. Gloria Guidettie (Tetra Pak, online)

 

Course purpose

In the field of material science, perhaps none has generated such enthusiasm and excitement as Graphene. It rocked the realm of material chemistry in 2004, when scientists from University of Manchester discovered its remarkable physical and chemical properties, including high surface area, excellent electrical conductivity, extraordinary elasticity, and ultra-light weight. Although harnessing these properties for commercial applications remains a challenge, advances in understanding graphene are expected to greatly contribute to its successful industrial adoption as a compelling technology.

In this tracks course, we aim at the introduction of industry-oriented graphene applications, that are closely tied to our daily lives. As an interdisciplinary course, we will cover the graphene industrial chain, spanning from the mass production of graphene-based 2D materials to the challenges and opportunities in graphene commercialization. We will also explore examples of potential industrial applications at Chalmers such as water filtration and energy storage.

 

Schedule

TimeEdit

 

Course literature

1. Novoselov, K. S., et al., "Electric Field Effect in Atomically Thin Carbon Films", Science, 2004, 306, 666-669.

2. Boehm, H. P., "Nomenclature and terminology of graphite intercalation compounds", Carbon, 1986, 24, 241-245.

3. Hernandez, Y., "High-yield production of graphene by liquid-phase exfoliation of graphite", Nature Nanotechnology, 2008, 3, 563-568.

4. Dreyer, D. R., "The chemistry of Graphene Oxide", Chemical Society Reviews, 2010, 39, 228-240.

5. Novoselov, K. S., et al., "A roadmap for graphene", Nature, 2012, 490, 192-199.

6. Dresselhaus, M. S., et al., "Defect characterization in graphene and carbon nanotubes using Raman spectroscopy", Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, 2010, 368, 5355-5377.

7. Pollard, A. J., et al., "Characterisation of the Structure of Graphene", The National Physical Laboratory (NPL), 2017, Version 1.0

8. Kauling, A. P., et al., "The Worldwide Graphene Flake Production", Advanced Materials, 2018, 30, 1803784.

9. Kovtun, A., et al., "Benchmarking of graphene-based materials: real commercial products versus ideal graphene", 2D materials, 1019, 025006.

10. Sun, Z., et al., "3D Graphene Materials: From Understanding to Design and Synthesis Control", Chemical Reviews, 2020, 120, 10336-10453.

11. Khorshid, M., et al., "Synthesis, characterization, and properties of graphene reinforced metal-matrix nanocomposites", Composites Part B, 2020, 183, 107664.

12. Chee, W. K., et al., "Nanocomposites of graphene/polymers: a review", RSC Advances, 2015, 5, 68014-68051.

13. Young, R. J. and Liu, M., "The microstructure of a graphene-reinforced tennis racquet", Journal of Materials Science, 2016, 51, 3861-3867.

Course design

The course is based on 9 lectures (2 hours each, including guest speakers either from Chalmers or from industry), tutorials (ca 6 hours), and collaborative group projects.

Learning objectives and syllabus

Learning objectives:

Valid for all Tracks courses:

  • critically and creatively identify and/or formulate advanced architectural or engineering problems
  • master problems with open solutions spaces which includes to be able to handle uncertainties and limited information.
  • lead and participate in the development of new products, processes and systems using a holistic approach by following a design process and/or a systematic development process.
  • work in multidisciplinary teams and collaborate in teams with different compositions
  • show insights about cultural differences and to be able to work sensitively with them.
  • show insights about and deal with the impact of architecture and/or engineering solutions in a global, economic, environment and societal context.
  • identify ethical aspects and discuss and judge their consequences in relation to the specific problem
  • orally and in writing explain and discuss information, problems, methods, design/development processes and solutions
  • fulfill project specific learning outcomes
Course specific:
  • Describe the manufacturing process of graphene in industry, including top-down and bottom-up approaches, and understand the underlying reaction mechanisms for each approach.
  • Identify, compare, and evaluate various forms of commercial graphene, such as graphene oxide (GO), graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), and chemical vapor deposited (CVD) graphene, based on their distinct physical and chemical properties.
  • Describe the fundamental characterization methods for graphene, including optical, electrical, physical/chemical characterizations.
  • Explain the fabricating process of graphene-polymer nanocomposites and give some examples of its related commercial products.
  • Elaborate on how the challenges posed by emerging organic contaminants in greywater can be mitigated using graphene-filter system.
  • Detail the pivotal energy storage devices: fuel cells, supercapacitors, and batteries, elucidating the main role of graphene in each device.
  • Give examples of potential commercial applications for graphene and other 2D materials and match different types of graphene-related materials with their corresponding end-user products.
  • Effectively convey their professional knowledge through both written and spoken forms, tailored to their intended audience, including supervisors and other students.

Link to the syllabus on Studieportalen.

https://www.chalmers.se/en/education/your-studies/find-course-and-programme-syllabi/course-syllabus/TRA210/?acYear=2025/2026

 

Examination form

As a Tracks course, you can select your topic and perform lab activities within 4 weeks – fabricating either energy storage devices or graphene filters for environmental purposes. You will also organize two seminars by yourself: a mid-term seminar about graphene commercialization, and a final seminar abour your group project.

In general, your final grade will be evaluated on the following items:
1) Online quizzes related to the lectures (20%)
2) Mid-term seminar with peer-review (20%)
3) Final group project seminar (20%)
4) Individual research project report with peer-review (40%)

Course summary:

Date Details Due